Poster #93 - The Associations Between Parental State of Mind and Parental Behaviours in Dyadic Interactions with Children

• In Event: Poster Session 01

Abstract

Main and colleagues designed the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI: George et al., 1995) to assess adults’ states of mind regarding early attachment experiences, with the expectation that they will influence their own parenting behaviors (Main & Hesse, 1990). Numerous studies have already shown such associations between parents’ attachment styles, and parenting behaviours (e.g., Crowell & Feldman, 1988; Das Eiden et al., 1995). However, there are some limitations to the existing research. Many parenting studies have involved mothers only, focused on parents of infants, and explored one type of parental sensitivity (e.g. protecting and comforting an infant in distress). To address these gaps, our study included both mothers and fathers of school-age children and behaviours observed in playful interactions. We expected that, for both mothers and fathers, positive experiences and secure states of mind would be associated with more optimal parental behaviors and greater dyadic synchrony in a playful interaction with children.
This sample consisted of 82 parents with children between the ages of 8 and 12 years old (Mage = 8.46 years, SD = 0.92) who participated in independent 2-hour video recorded laboratory sessions. We observed parent-child dyads in a Laughing Task procedure (Bureau et al., 2014) and coded their interactions on 10 scales: appropriate roles, parental sensitivity, synchronized emotions, relaxation, pleasure, intimacy, appropriate parental effort, parent respect for child’s rhythm, attention centered on the dyad, and overall coordination. Parents completed the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) as a measure of the quality of parents’ early experiences and states of mind about those experiences (George et al., 1985).
Significant associations were identified between mother’s childhood experiences and their dyadic interactions with the child (Table 1). Generally, when mothers described unloving behaviour from their parent (e.g. rejecting or role-reversing), or derogated the experiences with their parents they were less likely to display optimal behaviour (e.g. sensitivity, effort, intimacy, assuming role as a parent) towards their own children. However, an association was found between mothers idealizing their parents and increased levels of sensitivity and coordination. This could be a result of mothers identifying with their perception of the parent, and striving to behave similarly. A positive association was also found between the pressure to achieve by father and role reversal within the dyadic interaction.
We also found significant associations for fathers (Table 2). When fathers described their parents as loving they paid more attention to the dyadic interaction. Conversely, when fathers described their experiences with their parents ‘negatively’ (e.g. neglecting, with anger, derogation or a lack of memory) their dyadic interactions were characterized by less attention, shared emotion, sensitivity, relaxation or intimacy. It is noteworthy that fathers describing their mothers as neglecting were more respecting of the child’s rhythm in the interaction. Perhaps fathers who felt neglected feel more comfortable with distance and thus exhibit non-intrusiveness towards their children.
The results of this study support associations between both fathers’ and mothers’ state of mind regarding their own early experiences with their behaviours observed in a different setting and with older children.

Authors

• Harshita Seal, University of Ottawa
  Presenting Author

• Luce Ranger

• Jodi Martin, York University

• Jean-Francois Bureau, University of Ottawa